Aspen Journalism has made the most of these last few weeks of summer. Since the last letter from the newsroom, Aspen Journalism has published a total of six in-depth stories showing the depth and range of our talented staff and freelancers.
Water Desk Editor Heather Sackett gave us three bylines, including the latest in a string of stories — seven to be exact, going back to December — from the trenches of the federally funded System Conservation Program, designed to pay water users to cut back in hopes of propping up Lake Powell. Throughout Sackett has been documenting the effort’s transparency, or lack thereof, and how it’s been received in the water community. Her latest story takes us to Missouri Heights, outside Carbondale, to see what participation in the program means for one local ranching family.
Aspen Journalism also delivered entries from three contributing writers since our last Roundup. Freelance journalist Sarah Tory had been working for months to nail down her recent story about changes to a methane-capture project near Somerset, which for about a decade used gas vented from a coal mine to generate electricity. But declining concentrations of the gas following the mine’s closure made generation too unreliable to continue, so the project has transitioned to focus solely on destroying the potent heat-trapping gas and capturing revenue on the carbon-offset market.
Rick Carroll, in partnership with Aspen Daily News where he is managing editor, broke the news for Aspen Journalism that the city of Aspen is citing developer Mark Hunt for “demolition by neglect” due to the deteriorating condition of historic elements at the Boomerang Lodge property, which has sat vacant for the better part of two decades. Hunt, who bought the Aspen property in 2018, plans to develop the lot into a residential project that would be part of the “RH Ecosystem” co-branded with the luxury home furnishings purveyor formally known as Restoration Hardware.
Rounding out our recent coverage, Amy Hadden Marsh returned with her latest on the Uinta Basin Railway proposal that has united numerous Colorado jurisdictions from Glenwood Springs to Grand County in opposition. Those concerned about the project that would facilitate the quadrupling of oil production from the northeast Utah basin, sending exponentially more of the basin’s signature waxy crude through Colorado using the railroad that follows the Colorado River, scored a big win last month when a federal appeals court judge tossed out the Surface Transportation Board’s 2021 approval of the UBR. The judge agreed with arguments made in a lawsuit brought by Eagle County that the approval didn’t take into consideration the potential negative impacts the project would have on communities outside the Uinta Basin. Marsh — whose reporting on the UBR going back to July 2022 stands out for its detail — brings us up to speed on where things stand in the wake of the ruling, and how Uinta Basin oil producers might have a workaround to expand shipments even if the UBR never happens.
For more, see the complete lineup below. Thank you for reading and supporting Aspen Journalism. This work couldn’t happen without our community and we look forward to catching up again soon.
With gratitude,
– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and executive director
D.C. Circuit Court hits the brakes on Uinta Basin Railway, but oil transport through Colorado is still on the table
Aug. 26 protest turns celebratory for Colorado citizens fighting Utah project
By Amy Hadden Marsh | September 5, 2023
Uinta Basin Railway (UBR) opponents floated a portion of the Colorado River on Aug. 26 to celebrate a setback to the UBR. Organized by two citizen groups — Colorado Rising and 350 Roaring Fork — a flotilla of about 30 boats and 100 activists put in at Grizzly Creek in the Glenwood Canyon and landed at Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs for a rally and picnic. The flotilla was originally planned as a protest to draw attention to the river and what would happen if a train carrying waxy crude derailed in the Glenwood Canyon. “We’re not fighting a […]
SkiCo-funded methane-capture project no longer generates electricity
Declining emissions at Elk Creek Mine refocus project on destroying dangerous gas
By Sarah Tory | September 1, 2023
Aspen Skiing Co. had provided most of the capital investment for the system, which was generating 3 megawatts of baseload power. But things didn’t turn out exactly as Caskey and the rest of the project partners had hoped.
Colorado River commission reviews lessons learned from water conservation program
Changes to pricing, timing contemplated for potential 2024 reboot
By Heather Sackett | August 30, 2023
About 2,388 acres of agricultural land will go unirrigated in Colorado this season and the total amount of water conserved across those 22 projects is about 2,517 acre-feet.
Gunnison ranch to loan water for the environment
By Heather Sackett | August 18, 2023
With the lease agreement enacted, Curry and Peterson would turn off their four ditch headgates at the end of June and keep them off for 37 days — usually the hottest, driest time of year and when Tomichi Creek could most use a boost.
As Boomerang property languishes, city investigates
‘Demolition-by-neglect’ citation pending for former lodge location that’s part of Hunt-RH ‘Aspen ecosystem’
By Rick Carroll | August 14, 2023
While the Hunt team has been responsive to minor Boomerang fixes in the past, “It has gotten to the point where it is more extensive than a short list, or a punch list,” city planning director Amy Simon said at a June 28 meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission. “We’re concerned.”
Pitkin County aims to bring back beavers
Healthy Rivers funding inventory, public awareness campaign
By Heather Sackett | August 3, 2023
Pitkin County is hoping that other landowners see things the way Craig does as it makes beavers a top priority, funding measures that may eventually restore North America’s largest rodent to areas it once lived in the Roaring Fork watershed.
Data dashboard: Local streamflows have dropped since last week
By Laurine Lassalle | September 5, 2023
• The Fork ran at 68% of average at Stillwater on Sept. 4, down from 97.5% of average last week.
• Lake Powell’s elevation dropped from 3,575.2 feet on Aug. 27 to 3,574.3 feet on Sept. 4.
• High air temperatures at ASE dropped to 67°F on Aug. 25 before increasing to 83 °F on Sept. 1.
Data dashboard: Local streams are flowing above average
By Laurine Lassalle | August 28, 2023
• The Fork ran at 130% of average below Maroon Creek and at 125% of average at Emma on Aug. 27.
• Lake Powell’s elevation went from 3,576.2 feet on Aug. 20 to 3,575.4 feet on Aug. 27.
• High air temperatures at ASE went from 77°F on Aug. 18 to 87°F on Aug. 21, about 11 degrees above normal.
Data dashboard: Air temperatures are rising
By Laurine Lassalle | August 25, 2023
• The Fork ran at 82.1% of average at Stillwater and 94.6% below Maroon Creek on Aug. 20. That’s down from last week’s 84.3% and 98.8% of average, respectively.
• Lake Powell’s elevation went from 3,577 ft on Aug. 13 to 3,576.2 ft on Aug. 20.
• High air temperatures in Aspen went from 76°F on Aug. 12 to 85°F on Aug. 17.
Data dashboard: Occupancy is lagging from past years
By Laurine Lassalle | August 16, 2023
• Paid occupancy reached 65.3% in July for Aspen and Snowmass combined, down from 68.4% last year.
• The Fork ran at 98.8% of average below Maroon Creek and at 109.2% of average at Emma on Aug. 13.
• Lake Powell was 39.01% full on Aug. 13, down from 39.56% last week but up from 26.08% last year.
There are always stories that need a journalist to pursue them. These Aspen Journalism investigative stories are published for you, the community, and our collaborators as a public service, thanks to the generosity of our readers and funders.